Simple discussion. What are some of your favourite bosses in gaming? What makes them so good, for people who haven't played the game? And which ones were damp squibs?
Oh, and because of the subject material, this is inevitably a SPOILERICIOUS topic. I think it can be assumed that any games released more than three years ago are ripe for discussion, but nonetheless, might be wise to put the name of the game and then the rest in spoiler tags. (Definitely spoiler any more recent games!)
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Spoiler:
This is one of the most entertaining boss fights I've ever played. Skeleton bagatelle, followed by racing around a pillar at high speed, dodging a flying skull. Not particularly colourful, but great fun. I could do a whole list of TP bosses, but won't.
Metroid Prime
Spoiler:
The demonic plant Flaahgra was hard. The idea was to stun the skeletal thing with gunfire, knock out all its mirrors while stunned, bomb its root system, and repeat four times with it getting harder each time. All the while avoiding its energy blasts and scythes. Possibly named after the sort of noise gamers made while fighting it.
Okami
Spoiler:
And now for a bad one. I mostly disliked Yamata no Orochi because the game made you fight him three times; but regardless, it was a tedious affair. It took ages to knock out all eight of the heads, at which point you knocked him about a bit and then repeated the process. Yawn. Oh, and the battle ends with a quick-time event. A rare rubbish moment in Okami.
Your turn!
Last edited by Balladeer on Thu 25 Jul 2013 - 8:42; edited 1 time in total
The_Jaster Din
Posts : 11972 Points : 12064 Join date : 2013-01-15 Age : 40 Location : Underground Corpse Pile.
Dyanmite Headdy has a monopoly over gaming's great boss battles, as far as I'm concerned. The Dark Demon, Spinderella, Mad Dog, the Clothes Encounters manikin and the evil puppet master are all class, but Baby Face was the one that I used to tell people at school about:
Hmm, tough one. Some of my favs would be Prince N in Pokemon Black and White. Why? The whole backdrop for the battle in question was easily one of the most epic bakcdrops for a showdown in the Pokemon franchise. He, the champion of the region planning to tae it over, you the potential usurper to the prince. I doubt the new games will be able to touch it to be honest.
Ganondorf in Wind Waker gets a mention as well. The final form where it's just you and him in a sword fight on the roof of Hyrule Castle under the ocean as the magic keeping the water out is fading and his whole plan has been ruined was just amazing. They tried to replicate this in Twilight Princess and downright failed, you can't replicate something like that. For a Nintendo game the tension and atmosphere in that final battle in Wind Waker was simply astounding, honestly it puts the majority of the industry to shame as far as game climaxes go.
Finally, the final boss in Persona 3 who I shall leave unnamed for obvious reasons. The fight was long, tough, had epic music, and never seemed to end in the perfect vision of a nightmare. Honestly it's rather hard to describe, but it gets a mention because to me it just hit all the notes for the situation and fight perfectly.
Now for the bad ones I've encountered. I hinted at it just above, but I'll give it a mention here too. The final battle of Twilight Princess. It was too easy, but what really lands it here is that the entire fight I was left simply thinking I've done this exact thing before, only in a far more epic setting and a bit more challenging environment. Honestly I think Twilight Princess should have stuck with having Zant be the final enemy, up until the bad plot twist he was amazing, and the build up to the fight with him was fantastic.
I would name another but honestly I find it hard to think of boss fights that left me thinking they were outright terrible. A boss fight either sticks out in my mind or I just forget about it if it ended up being bollocks.
beemoh Koopaling
Posts : 2007 Points : 2050 Join date : 2013-01-15 Age : 39 Location : Writing and arithmetic
This is one of the most entertaining boss fights I've ever played. Skeleton bagatelle, followed by racing around a pillar at high speed, dodging a flying skull. Not particularly colourful, but great fun. I could do a whole list of TP bosses, but won't.
Also, if that's the one I'm thinking of, it's got my favourite Zelda boss music, too.
Balladeer DIVINE LONELINESS
Posts : 26468 Points : 25302 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 35 Location : Admintown
See what you think: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GPDG_CKErM Personally I prefer Blizzeta's, mediocre boss though she was (strictly speaking, it's part two): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GujUYhJz9Q If we're going on boss music, though, you can't beat Super Mario Galaxy (as with anything to do with music): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HC-gp-DdqA
I didn't think the final battle from TP was bad! Although maybe I was just overawed by the scale of it all. Four battles, including a proper swordfight: come on! Although I'll agree that WW Ganondorf is the best incarnation of the villain in the series, I didn't think the battle was all that. Too easy. You know who had a really good fight?
Skyward Sword spoiler:
This chap. Rubbish villain, great fight. Holding up your sword to charge it with lightning: genius. Ghirahim's fight was great as well, though.
And so that this post isn't 90% Zelda, I've always had a soft spot for Lylat Wars' train chappie. The kite, the rocks, the snarky comments: Macbeth was a fun level.
I'll see Baby Face in my nightmares tonight...
The_Jaster Din
Posts : 11972 Points : 12064 Join date : 2013-01-15 Age : 40 Location : Underground Corpse Pile.
Love fighting this chap & by far my favourite to fight out of the new monsters, you would think looking at him he'd be slow & plod along but its quite graceful as it spins about like a madman & even launches itself in the air to try and squash you. (yep he's got a me a good few times) Its almost a shame taking it down as all he wants to do is spin.
I wish I could look at that Skyward Sword post, but I haven't finished it yet so I can't!
*Looks under spoiler* Well dang, whoever that is he looks awesome. A shame my current TV position makes using the Wii Remote pretty much impossible otherwise Skyward Sword would be making its way to the top of my next to play list once I'm done with Smash Bros Brawl.
Jimbob Bargain Hunter
Posts : 4637 Points : 4663 Join date : 2013-01-15 Age : 42 Location : Milton Keynes
Willpower (or lack of it) has actually always been one of my biggest vices.
Balladeer DIVINE LONELINESS
Posts : 26468 Points : 25302 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 35 Location : Admintown
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Sun 23 Mar 2014 - 9:49
Bumpity-bump! Time for some platformers.
If I'm honest, I could probably fill the entire "rubbish bosses" section of this thread with creatures from SM3DW. Quite aside from Boom Boom, there's King Kathunk:
And Boss Broulder:
But the one I'm going to go for is the second boss from DKCTF. I didn't actually find him too bad, but I know several others hated him. He has great music though. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw6yHMSpDFA
The_Jaster Din
Posts : 11972 Points : 12064 Join date : 2013-01-15 Age : 40 Location : Underground Corpse Pile.
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Sun 23 Mar 2014 - 19:39
Dragon slayer Ornstein & executioner Smough
These chaps gave me a tough old time in dark souls I must have died over 60 times to them before I got the better of them, the fight has two stages where they pull the annoying trick of obsorbing their fallen comrades power & depending in who you kill first changes the second part of the fight.
I'm forever thankful to a chap named Humpty (summoned player) who helped me slay them.
(Side note: all dark souls bosses are technically good but this one is the first that will have you swearing that the game isnt fair)
fronkhead Disciple of Scullion
Posts : 1616 Points : 1694 Join date : 2013-01-18
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Sun 1 Jun 2014 - 17:58
There's a boss in Super Meat Boy's fourth world which is just a complete joke, beating it relies on pattern memorisation and pattern memorisation alone. It felt so wrong to be in what was otherwise a well pitched platformer.
JayMoyles Galactic Nova
Posts : 15896 Points : 15061 Join date : 2013-01-21 Age : 31 Location : The Shibuya River
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Sun 1 Jun 2014 - 18:34
fronkhead wrote:
There's a boss in Super Meat Boy's fourth world which is just a complete joke, beating it relies on pattern memorisation and pattern memorisation alone. It felt so wrong to be in what was otherwise a well pitched platformer.
I know the one. Marred my experience of the game too.
Dusty Knackers Bandana Waddle Dee
Posts : 894 Points : 919 Join date : 2013-01-15 Age : 39 Location : West Midlands
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Mon 2 Jun 2014 - 15:38
Pikmin 3's final boss is one of the lousiest designed bosses I've ever seen in a game, soured the end of the game for me...
Spoiler:
Here is Plasm Wraith
Balladeer DIVINE LONELINESS
Posts : 26468 Points : 25302 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 35 Location : Admintown
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Mon 2 Jun 2014 - 15:47
Referring to Dusty's spoiler above:
Reminds me of a Henry Moore sculpture.
2grundies F-Zero Rookie
Posts : 108 Points : 108 Join date : 2013-11-06 Age : 54 Location : the deep, dark woods.....
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Mon 2 Jun 2014 - 22:07
I remember my jaw dropping the first time i encountered this dude from Axelay:
awesome! Not to mention the ED 209 lookalikey:
masofdas The Next Miyamoto
Posts : 24018 Points : 24418 Join date : 2013-01-18 Age : 34 Location : VITA Island
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Thu 20 Aug 2015 - 21:52
I'm hyped for Phantom Pain and with Jay talking about some classic boss battles, here's some I've enjoyed (click on pic for the battle on YoutTube)
The boss fights:
Sniper Wolf, MGS
Psycho Mantis, MGS
Fatman, MGS2
The End, MGS3
Boss, MGS3
Liquid Ocelot, MGS4
Last edited by masofdas on Fri 21 Aug 2015 - 14:33; edited 1 time in total
Muss Shiny Shuckle
Posts : 2557 Points : 2575 Join date : 2015-04-03 Location : The 5th Dimension
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Fri 21 Aug 2015 - 12:07
The boss fights:
Sniper Wolf, MGS
Psycho Mantis, MGS
Fatman, MGS2
The End, MGS3
Boss, MGS3
Liquid Ocelot, MGS4
[/quote]
Definitely some of the best throughout the Metal Gear series, although I'm a bit surprised by
Spoiler:
fatman being in there.
Here's a few from me
Most Disappointing: Batman Arkham Knight
Spoiler:
Boss fight: The Arkham Knight - ok, you fight this guy a few times before the final battle, each prior time a vehicular sequence. He goes from popping at you remotely, to chasing you with a major plot device tank (and fucking it because your batman) to a big ass drill thing. Each time he gets more and more wild and aggressive, but when it come to fighting him on foot? He literally does nothing, he just sits atop a gargoyle with a sniper rifle whilst you take out his men and sneak up on him several times for the win. The whole point of him is that he's (almost) batman's equal, but he sure as hell doesn't fight like it.
Worst: F-Zero GX
Final Story Mode Chapter:
As we all know, this game is tougher than a post Weapon X Program John Cena, and in Story Mode even normal difficulty is too much for all but the most skilled or overly committed pilots (me). That is with the exception of the final chapter, in which you literally fight the 'The Creators'... by having a ghost race. The track does nothing fancy, the time isn't hard to beat (I did it on hard as well) and other than beating the set time, there's no interactivity with God/from God... I suppose that's a statement about religion at least?
High Praise
Shadow of the Colossus:
I don't know its name, but the first Colossus you fight. As soon as you fight him you know you're in for a top class game, and its a great introduction into how it all handles. It also looks terribly sad when you slay it, which made me feel bad. Of course the rest of the fights are also fantastic
Balladeer DIVINE LONELINESS
Posts : 26468 Points : 25302 Join date : 2013-01-16 Age : 35 Location : Admintown
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Fri 21 Aug 2015 - 19:49
Oh God, GX's story mode. I have trauma stemming from that.
YWW's re-use of minibosses puts them squarely in the BAD section, but I did quite like the final boss of world 3, mostly due to its name.
Spoiler:
SHE'S CALLED MS. CLUCK THE INSINCERE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.
JayMoyles Galactic Nova
Posts : 15896 Points : 15061 Join date : 2013-01-21 Age : 31 Location : The Shibuya River
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Fri 21 Aug 2015 - 20:11
Muss wrote:
Most Disappointing: Batman Arkham Knight
Spoiler:
Boss fight: The Arkham Knight - ok, you fight this guy a few times before the final battle, each prior time a vehicular sequence. He goes from popping at you remotely, to chasing you with a major plot device tank (and fucking it because your batman) to a big ass drill thing. Each time he gets more and more wild and aggressive, but when it come to fighting him on foot? He literally does nothing, he just sits atop a gargoyle with a sniper rifle whilst you take out his men and sneak up on him several times for the win. The whole point of him is that he's (almost) batman's equal, but he sure as hell doesn't fight like it.
Definitely agree. I'd also add this:
Spoiler:
Deathstroke. To even fight the bugger you need to go about the city destroying dozens of militia installations and then... a near-carbon copy of the Arkham Knight tank battle. Womp womp.
masofdas The Next Miyamoto
Posts : 24018 Points : 24418 Join date : 2013-01-18 Age : 34 Location : VITA Island
Subject: Re: Best/Worst Bosses in Videogaming Fri 21 Aug 2015 - 20:30
@Muss I couldn't of any really good stand-outs with MGS2
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